I didn’t even know how it started But I just blew up一just like that. I screamed, I swore, I blanked out. You were dealing with your own struggles But I couldn't see that 

Growing up with the broken family I had was…an absolute mess. I saw things that children shouldn't see. I lived in a depressing household and had to grow up too quickly. I had realizations and thoughts that I hope fewer kids will have in the future, even if it’s impossible.

"Friends come and go, but the good ones stick around" is what I thought when I met a group of people in grade nine. This friend group was like the second family that I deeply loved and cared for, but everything changed in grade ten.

“I’m sorry,” the nurse told my parents. “She did not make it.”  The doctor did not want to give up on me so he tried many ways to bring me back, and at last when he was about to give up, one of the nurses suggested turning me upside down and hitting my legs. That finally worked.

Let’s play a game: I give you a scene, and you imagine it. So get this. You’re a teenager, Muslim, and a girl, and you live a fairly decent life. Got it? There’s more. You get good grades, you have a couple of friends, and you stay out of trouble. That’s basically my life.

Soon enough, I see him. My friend, Ian (I might even call him my favourite friend), came down the stairs. All annoyance and exhaustion from the school day melted away. I felt my face relax into a softer expression. He’s here. I can finally unwind.